Today is Grandparents' Day — a time to celebrate that lively old lady with the comfy shoes who cans peaches and makes soup from scratch. And a time to rejoice in that thoughtful guy who imparts life's wisdom when he takes you fishing.

Oh, wait. Those were my grandparents!

Today's "elders" — defined generationally — are just as likely to be taking off for a Harley weekend. Who has time to share with grandchildren? Besides, the little boogers are so busy texting, they won't listen anyway.

There's no doubt that standards are changing. Families — defined the narrow way, with two parents — are becoming an anachronism.

The latest Census report says 20 percent of women ages 40 to 44 have no children, double the level of 30 years ago, and those with children have fewer than ever — an average of 1.9 compared with 3.1 in 1976.

Am I the anachronism as a grandparent of seven — albeit married twice, with a single-parent episode between partners?

Not really, says Joy E. Pixley, assistant professor in University of California-Irvine's Department of Sociology.

"The number of children per woman has been dropping slowly but steadily in the U.S. since the early 1800s," she says, "while the proportion of women who never have children has been rising. Dramatic changes in the late 20th century were partly due to returning to the lower rates of generations prior to the baby-boom parents."

In other words, don't panic about birth rate. It was nature's way, Pixley says. Or the economy, since it takes two incomes to support a family today.

Ah, but what about the prop-ortion of unmarried parents?

"Despite the higher divorce rates now, young people continue to be very positive about marriage in general, and almost all of them hope to get married some day. And the vast majority of people do get married," Pixley says.

That's ultimately a vote for grandparenting.

And we deserve a stuffed ballot box. Many of us are raising their children's children. Others provide after-school care. A few even can peaches or have a favorite fishing hole.

So remember us today. You wouldn't be here without us.